Winter Charades Game

144 winter moments to act out, from snow and ice to sports and animals, with no holiday in any card.

A snowplow stop on the bunny slope

De-icing a plane

Pulling on a hat

Skating backward

Pulling on ski boots

Jump-starting a car

Sitting by the fire

A zipper stuck on a coat

The heating bill arrives

Building a blanket fort

Heading south for the winter

Winding on a very long scarf

The shortest day of the year

Tying your boots in a puffy coat

A power outage on a winter night

A static shock from the doorknob

Putting on gloves, then trying to zip up

Glasses fogging up when you come indoors

A snow monkey rolling a snowball for fun

Finishing a jigsaw puzzle with one piece missing

Turning up the thermostat when nobody is looking

Getting up from a snow angel without spoiling it

A halfpipe run

A skeleton run

Playing hockey

Pulling off a snow boot, and the sock comes too

An emperor penguin balancing an egg on his feet

A polar bear waiting at a seal's breathing hole

Scraping the windshield with a plastic card

Next step Winter one-minute games A winter scavenger hunt

All 144 winter charades ideas

Snow and ice 34

A figure inside a snow globe Stand frozen in a pose, get shaken hard, watch the snow swirl around you, and settle back as it falls.
A snowball down the back of your collar Take the hit on the neck, arch your back, dance on the spot, and shake your shirt out.
A snowplow clearing the street Hold your arms out as an angled blade, push along steadily, and throw the snow to one side.
An icicle dripping, then falling Hang stiff with your hands pointed overhead, drip with one finger, crack, and drop.
Blowing bubbles that freeze Dip a wand, blow gently, watch the bubble land and frost over, touch it, and see it shatter.
Blowing clouds with your breath Breathe out slowly, watch the cloud, puff three small ones, and try a smoke ring.
Building a snowman Roll a ball along the ground until it is too big to push, lift a smaller one on top, and press in two eyes.
Building an igloo Cut a block, carry it, set it in a ring, and build the ring up and over your head.

Show all 144 winter charades ideas (136 more)

Snow and ice, continued

Catching snowflakes on your mitten Hold out a flat hand, watch one land, bring it close to look, and see it vanish.
Defending a snow fort Duck behind the wall, stack snowballs, pop up, throw, and duck again as one sails over.
Digging a tunnel into a snowdrift On your knees, scoop snow back between your legs like a dog, crawl in, and peek out.
Drawing a giant face in the snow with a stick Drag two big eyes and a long smile, step back to look, and add ears.
Frost spreading across a window Start curled in one corner and let your fingers creep outward like ferns until you fill the frame.
Getting up from a snow angel without spoiling it Sweep your arms and legs, then try to stand without leaving a handprint: rock, reach, and hop clear.
Giving a snowman your own scarf Set the head on top, stand back, shiver, then unwind your scarf and tie it on him.
Knocking snow off your boots at the door Stamp, kick the step, tap heel against toe, and check the sole.
Losing a mitten in deep snow Notice a bare hand, retrace your steps, dig, and pull out a mitten frozen stiff.
Lost in a whiteout Walk with an arm across your eyes, lose the path, turn a full circle, and feel for a fence.
Making a snow angel Lie back if there is room and sweep your arms and legs. Standing works too.
Making the first footprints in fresh snow Stop at the edge, place one careful foot, look back at the print, then stomp out a pattern.
Packing a snowball with bare hands Scoop, pack, blow on your fingers, pack again, and shake your hands out.
Shivering Hug yourself, hunch your shoulders and shake from the knees up.
Shoveling snow Dig, lift, throw it over one shoulder, and stop to hold your back.
Shoveling the driveway as the plow buries it again Dig and toss, finish, lean on the shovel, watch the plow go by, slump, and start again.
Shuffling along an icy sidewalk Tiny flat steps, arms out, one wobble, freeze, and carry on even slower.
Sledding Sit, hold the rope, push off with both hands, lean back and bounce over the bumps.
Sledding down the hill backward Sit down, push off, find you are facing uphill, grip the sides and lean.
Sliding across a frozen puddle Take two quick steps, glide with your arms out, and pinwheel at the far end.
Slipping on ice Walk along, let one foot shoot forward, windmill your arms, and catch yourself before you fall.
Snow sliding off a branch onto your head Walk under a tree, look up, take it full in the face, and shake like a dog.
Snowball fight Scoop, pack, throw and duck. Get hit once and brush off your shoulder.
Testing the ice at the edge of a pond Tap it with a toe, tap it with a stick, hear a crack, and back away slowly.
Towing a sled whose rider keeps falling off Lean into the rope, feel it go light, look back, walk back, load up, and lean in again.
Walking in someone else's footprints through deep snow Stretch each stride to land in the print ahead, wobble, miss one and sink to the knee.

Winter sports 34

A biathlete at the shooting range Ski in hard, drop flat, slow your breathing, take five careful shots, and ski off. Biathlon joins cross-country skiing to rifle shooting.
A downhill racer in a tuck Poles under your arms, crouch low, lean left and right through the gates, and look up at the clock.
A figure skater waiting for the scores Sit on a bench out of breath, wave at a camera, hug a soft toy, and stare up at the board.
A four-person bobsled start Push at a run on the spot, climb in one after another, tuck your heads down, and lean as one through the turns.
A halfpipe run Drop in, ride up one wall, grab and twist, ride up the other, land, and throw your arms up.
A hockey goalie making a glove save Crouch wide, track the puck with your eyes, snap the glove up, and hold the pose.
A luge run Lie on your back, feet first, rock on the start handles, then steer with tiny presses of calf and shoulder. Luge is ridden face up and feet first.
A skeleton run Push a low sled at a bent-over run on the spot, lower yourself onto it face down, and hold your chin up. Skeleton is ridden face down and head first.
A ski jumper sticking the landing Crouch down the ramp, spring, lean out over your skis, and land with one foot ahead of the other and your arms wide.
A snowboarder strapping in Sit in the snow, ratchet both bindings, rock up to standing, and hop to get moving.
A snowplow stop on the bunny slope Skis in a wedge, knees in, arms forward, slower and slower, then tip over at no speed at all.
A speed skater in the turn Crouch low, one arm behind your back, cross one foot over the other, and swing the free arm.
Carrying skis and poles across a parking lot Clomp heel to toe, let the skis slide off your shoulder, tangle the poles, and gather it all up.
Cross-country skiing uphill Point your skis out in a V, waddle up, slide back a step, and dig in with the poles.
Delivering a curling stone Crouch, lunge out smoothly off one foot, slide, and let go with a gentle turn of the handle. Rotating the stone at release is what makes it curl.
Driving a sled dog team Stand on the runners, hang on as the dogs lunge, lean into the bend, and step on the brake.
Driving the ice resurfacer Sit up high, steer slow laps, look back at the shining strip, and wave to the crowd.
Fetching the puck from a snowbank Watch the shot sail wide, trudge over, dig with your stick, dig with your glove, and hold it up.
First time on ice skates, hugging the rail Go hand over hand along the boards, feet sliding away, let go for one second and grab on again.
Getting off a chairlift Tips up, shuffle forward on the seat, stand, glide away, and look back, relieved.
Ice fishing Drill a hole with both hands turning, drop a short line in, sit down and wait.
Ice skating Push off to the side with one foot, then the other, arms out for balance, and glide.
Playing hockey Two hands low on the stick, shuffle the puck left and right, and take a shot.
Pulling on ski boots Force a foot in, stamp, close four buckles with effort, and walk like a robot.
Riding a snowmobile Sit, grip the handlebars, squeeze the throttle with your thumb and lean into the corners.
Skating backward Push your heels out and in, look over one shoulder, and windmill when you drift.
Skiing Knees bent, poles tucked under your arms, and sway left and right through the turns.
Snow tubing, spinning all the way down Sit in a ring, grip the handles, spin as you go, and stand up dizzy.
Snowboarding Stand side on with both feet planted, arms out, and lean back and forward to steer.
Snowshoeing Walk with your feet wide apart, lifting each knee high, and look back at your tracks.
Stepping on your own snowshoes Walk with your feet wide apart, tread on one frame with the other, tip forward, and recover.
Sweeping the ice ahead of a curling stone Scrub a broom fast beside the stone as you walk, stop on a shout, and watch it glide. Sweeping makes the stone go farther on a straighter path.
Waiting for a bite at an ice fishing hole Crank a drill through the ice, sit on a bucket, jig the line, shiver, and wait.
Waxing skis Drip wax along the ski, iron it in, scrape in long strokes, brush, and sight down the base.

Animals in winter 25

A bear settling down for the winter Yawn hugely, scratch, turn around three times, curl up, open one eye, and sleep.
A caribou pawing through snow for food Scrape with a front hoof, push your nose into the hole, chew, and move on a step.
A cat claiming the radiator Knead the spot, turn around, and melt over the edge with one paw hanging down.
A dog shaking snow off its coat Trot in, brace your legs, shake from nose to tail, and look pleased with the mess.
A dog that does not want to go out in the snow Get led to the door, plant all four feet, touch the snow with one paw, and pull it back.
A duck landing on a frozen pond Glide in feet first, touch down, skid, spin once, and sit with dignity.
A groundhog asleep below the frost line Dig down, plug the door behind you, curl into a ball, and breathe very slowly. Groundhogs are true hibernators and often dig a separate winter burrow.
A husky that refuses to come indoors Lie in the snow in bliss, lift your head at a call, roll over, and stay put.
A penguin huddle, taking turns in the middle Shuffle in tiny steps, shoulder to shoulder, from the cold edge to the warm middle and back out. Emperor penguins huddle so that each bird gets a turn inside.
A penguin tobogganing on its belly Lean far forward or lie down, arms back as flippers, and push along with your feet.
A polar bear waiting at a seal's breathing hole Lie flat beside a hole in the ice without a twitch for a long time, then strike with both paws.
A snow monkey rolling a snowball for fun Pat a small ball, roll it along on all fours, carry it off under one arm, and guard it.
A snowshoe hare in its white winter coat Hop on big back feet that do not sink, then freeze against the snow, sure nobody can see you.
A snowy owl turning its head Sit upright and still, swivel your head slowly a long way around, and blink one eye at a time.
A squirrel digging up a nut it buried Sniff, dig fast, wrong spot, dig again, find it, stuff it in a cheek, and look both ways.
A wood frog frozen until the thaw Crouch, slow down, and stop: no breath, no blink. Then one finger twitches, a leg, and you hop. A frozen wood frog has no heartbeat and no breathing.
An arctic fox asleep under its own tail Curl up tight, tuck in your legs and head, and wrap a big tail over your nose against the cold.
An arctic fox pouncing through the snow Tilt your head to listen, freeze, leap straight up, and come down nose and front paws first. It can hear lemmings moving under the snow.
An emperor penguin balancing an egg on his feet Heels together, shuffle without lifting your toes, look down to check, and tuck your belly over it. The male balances the egg on top of his feet.
Birds squabbling at the feeder Land, peck, get shouldered off by a bigger bird, hop back, and peck faster.
Musk oxen in a ring around their calves Face outward, head low, shoulder to shoulder with oxen made of air, and stamp. The adults face outward in a ring around the calves.
Penguin Heels together, arms stiff at your sides with the hands turned out, and waddle.
Polar bear Walk slowly on all fours with a heavy head, stop, and sniff the air.
Snow monkeys in a hot spring Sink in to the shoulders with a sigh, snow on your head, eyes half shut, and groom a neighbor. Japanese macaques bathe together in hot springs.
Walrus Two fingers pointing down from your mouth for tusks, and heave your shoulders forward one at a time.

Indoors and keeping warm 25

A power outage on a winter night The lights go, freeze, feel along the wall, find a flashlight, shake it, and put on a second coat.
A static shock from the doorknob Shuffle across the carpet in socks, reach out, get zapped, and try again with a sleeve over your hand.
Blocking the draft under the door Run a hand along the gap, shiver, roll up a towel, push it in place with your foot, and test again.
Building a blanket fort Drape a blanket over two chairs, weigh down the corners, crawl inside, and feel it sag onto your head.
Carrying in an armful of firewood Stack logs up to your chin, open the door with an elbow, and try to pick up the one you dropped.
Drinking hot chocolate Both hands round the mug, blow across the top, sip, and wipe off a foam mustache.
Drying a wet dog at the door Hold up a towel, get shaken on first, rub the back, then lift and dry one paw at a time.
Drying wet mittens on the radiator Peel them off, wring them out, line them up, turn them over, and test one against your cheek.
Eating hot soup Blow on the spoon, sip, fan your mouth, and tear off a piece of bread.
Filling a hot water bottle Pour with care from a kettle, squeeze the air out, screw the cap on, and hug it.
Finishing a jigsaw puzzle with one piece missing Press in the last few pieces, stare at the hole, search the table, the floor, the box and your pockets.
Getting into a cold bed Dive under the covers, curl up tight, rub your feet together, and stretch out bit by bit.
Glasses fogging up when you come indoors Step inside, go blind, take them off, wipe them, put them on, and fog up again.
The heating bill arrives Open an envelope, read, widen your eyes, put on a sweater, turn the dial down, and put on another sweater.
Hot chocolate that is too hot to drink Blow, sip, flinch, fan your tongue, blow again, and wait with your eyes on the mug.
Ice on the inside of the window Scratch at the glass with a fingernail, find the ice is on your side, shiver, and draw a face in it.
Knitting with a cat after the yarn Knit a row, feel the yarn tug, pull back, lose, and lift a cat off your lap.
Pulling off a snow boot, and the sock comes too Tug with both hands, hop, send the boot flying, stand on a cold floor, and fish the sock out.
The shortest day of the year Wake, stretch, watch the sun come up, watch it go straight back down, check your watch, shrug, and go back to bed.
Sitting by the fire Hold your palms out to the heat, rub them together, and turn to warm your back.
Thawing a frozen pipe with a hair dryer Turn the faucet, get nothing, tap along the pipe, warm it with a hair dryer, and cheer at the first trickle.
Thawing frozen fingers under the faucet Hold them under the water, wince as the feeling comes back, and shake your hands out.
Turning up the thermostat when nobody is looking Look both ways, nudge the dial, stroll off, then come back as someone else and turn it down.
Warming your back at the wood stove Back up to it, sigh, get too hot, hop away, and creep back again.
Wrapped in a blanket, reaching for the remote Stretch one arm out of the cocoon, fall short, and inch the whole bundle along the sofa.

Bundling up and getting around 26

A balaclava with only your eyes showing Pull it on, line up the eye hole, and try to sip a drink through the wool.
A zipper stuck on a coat Tug, look down, wiggle it, brace and heave, and give up with the coat half open.
Brushing a foot of snow off the car Sweep the roof with your arm, get snow down your sleeve, clear the lights, and find it is not your car.
De-icing a plane Ride up in a bucket lift, spray the wing in long sweeping arcs, and give the cockpit a thumbs up.
Dressing a toddler for the snow Feed arms into sleeves, zip up, hat, mittens, boots, stand back, and watch a small hand point at the bathroom.
Frozen laundry on the line Unpeg a shirt as stiff as a board, carry it in flat, and stand a pair of jeans up on the floor.
Heading south for the winter Pack a sun hat, lock up shivering, travel a long way, unfold a beach chair, and put on sunglasses.
Hopping on one foot to get into snow pants One leg in, hop, hop, lean on a wall, second leg in, and pull up the straps.
Jump-starting a car Prop the hood, clamp one cable, then the other, signal the other driver, turn the key, and give a thumbs up.
Pulling a tight turtleneck over your head Get stuck halfway with your arms up, stagger blind, pop through, and smooth your hair.
Pulling on a hat Stretch it with both hands, pull it down over your ears, and tuck your hair in.
Pushing a snow blower Pull the cord three times, feel it roar, walk behind it, aim the chute, and take the spray in the face.
Putting boots on a dog Hold a paw, slip a boot on, do all four, and watch the dog high-step as if the floor were hot.
Putting on a coat One arm in, hunt behind you for the other sleeve, shrug it on and do it up.
Putting on gloves, then trying to zip up Gloves on, fumble at the zipper, pull one glove off with your teeth, zip, and glove up again.
Putting on mittens One goes on easily. The second has to be pulled on with your teeth.
Putting on tire chains Lay the chains out, drape them over a tire, reach behind to hook them with frozen fingers, and roll forward a foot.
Scraping the windshield with a plastic card Make tiny scrapes, blow on your fingers, and peer through a clear patch the size of a fist.
Snow sliding off the roof as you step outside Open the door, hear a rumble, look up, and jump back as it lands where you stood.
Spinning your wheels in a snowbank Rock at the wheel, forward and back, get out, kick snow from a tire, wedge in a floor mat, and try again.
Spreading salt on the front steps Scoop from a bag, scatter it like feeding hens, and test the top step with one toe.
Thawing a frozen car lock with your breath Push at the key, breathe on the lock, warm the key in your hands, and jiggle it in.
Tying your boots in a puffy coat Arms stiff at your sides, bend, fail to reach the laces, rock, and try sitting down.
Waiting for the bus in the cold Stamp your feet, hunch, check your watch, peer down the road, and blow into your hands.
Wearing earmuffs and hearing nothing Nod at someone talking, frown, lift one muff, say what, and put it back.
Winding on a very long scarf Go around and around until only your eyes show, then look for the end.

How this list was compiled: Every card is a winter moment to act out, and none of the 144 has a holiday in it, so the deck works in January and for groups that do not mark Christmas: 34 Snow and ice cards, 34 Winter sports, 25 Animals in winter, 25 Indoors and keeping warm and 26 Bundling up and getting around. Twenty-four cards are the plain winter acts that any list of this kind holds, in one to three words, such as Building a snowman, Sledding and Ice skating. On 2026-09-20, 14 of those had the same text as a card in this site's Christmas charades deck and 13 as a card in its main charades deck (about 10 and 9 percent of this deck), and bare words such as Penguin, Polar bear and Sledding were also in the site's drawing, bingo and word game lists. The other 120 cards are moments worded for an actor, such as Giving a snowman your own scarf, and on the same day none of them had the same text as a card in any other list on this site. Subjects such as curling, the penguin huddle and the stuck zipper also appear, as nouns, in the winter drawing words and winter bingo lists. The line under each card in the full list is our acting hint. Where a hint ends with a fact about a sport or an animal, the fact was checked on 2026-09-20 against the English Wikipedia article for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling (sweeping lets the stone travel farther and straighter; rotating the stone at release makes it curl), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biathlon (cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, five targets), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luge (face up and feet first, a seated start from handles), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_%28sport%29 (face down and head first, a running start), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobsleigh (the crew pushes the sled before boarding), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_jumping (a landing with one foot ahead of the other), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_penguin (the huddle gives each bird a turn inside, the male balances the egg on his feet, tobogganing on the belly), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_fox (hears lemmings under the snow and pounces, sleeps curled behind its tail), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_hare (large hind feet, a white winter coat), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_macaque (bathes in hot springs and rolls snowballs for fun), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear (waits without moving at a breathing hole), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reindeer (caribou paw through snow for food), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskox (adults face outward in a ring around the calves), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_frog (survives being frozen, with no heartbeat or breathing) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog (true hibernation, often in a separate winter burrow below the frost line). Left out because the article read did not say it: that a luge rider paddles with spiked gloves, how a ski jumper holds the skis in the air, and what a caribou finds under the snow. Levels are our judgment of how hard a card is to guess: Easy is a plain act or one clear moment, Medium is a short scene or a sport seen from the inside, Hard is a sport, an animal or a moment that needs a few beats to read. Licence: own work

How it works

This winter charades game holds 144 cold-weather moments and no holiday, so it suits January and groups that do not mark Christmas. Cards run from Building a snowman to A luge run.

Read the full guide

Plain acts first, sports last

Snow and ice, Indoors and keeping warm, and Bundling up and getting around are moments most players have lived. Winter sports and Animals in winter ask for more: 8 of the 34 sports cards are Hard, such as A skeleton run. Of the 62 Easy cards, 24 are plain acts such as Sledding; the rest are one clear moment, like Shuffling along an icy sidewalk.

Slips to print, and a hint for every card

On the end card, Print gives slips. With All and Any level, one press prints 120 of the 144 and a second press prints the other 24. Every card in the full list has an acting hint, and some end with a fact: emperor penguins do take turns in the middle of the huddle.

Sports cards need floor space: mime the slide or the landing on the spot, or press Next card.
As a house rule, shivering is allowed and chattering teeth are not: the actor makes no sound at all.

Questions and answers

What are good winter charades ideas?

Start with acts everyone knows: Building a snowman, Ice skating, Drinking hot chocolate, Putting on mittens. Then try moments, such as Giving a snowman your own scarf or A zipper stuck on a coat. Sports and animals are hardest, such as A four-person bobsled start.

Is this the same as Christmas charades?

No. No card here mentions a holiday, a gift or a decoration. The Christmas charades generator has Santa, presents and decorating, and its Snow and winter fun topic shares 13 plain acts, such as Building a snowman, with this deck.

Do you need snow to play?

No. Everything is mimed indoors. Players who have never seen snow do best with Animals in winter and with Indoors and keeping warm, where a card such as Hot chocolate that is too hot to drink needs no winter at all.